Buenos Aires in 3 days

You do not cite the credible source that says it is dangerous. I have traveled all over the world yet the only placed I have ever been strong armed robbed was in my home country: USA.

I spent a week in Buenos Aires. Downtown is fine near the avenue 9 de Julio. The best thing is your dollar will go far down there. Since you have short time you can do a tour bus Hop on Hop off that will take you to "must see" places mentioned in guide books like Lonely Planet. The culture is a lot like Spain meaning people eat out late and party after midnight. We took Tango lessons at 2 am it was fun.

You can take a ferry day trip to Colonia del Sacramento, a well perserved colonial town in Uruguay.
We went to Punta del este also.

I stayed in Palermo Viejo and San Telmo with friends and enjoyed both. You can find all kinds of hotels on www.booking.com. There are a lot of funky ones throughout BA (at the time I went they preferred to deal with cash as opposed to credit cards). Puerto Madero is full of business type hotels, so you can always stay there if you're risk averse although the area lacks charm like other neighborhoods. I'm not sure where you got the impression that it's dangerous. People dine out and go out late at night, it's not a big deal. No reason to be apprehensive. There's a vibrant cafe culture in the neighborhoods. Like everywhere else, don't leave crumbs for pickpockets by being sloppy with your belongings, but other than that, it's a regular lively city and no reason to be on high alert.

I enjoyed the La Boca and San Telmo neighborhoods, Recoleta Cemetery, MALBA art museum, and just strolling around neighborhoods and parks. For other ideas, check out either blogs, Lonely Planet, or other sites like this one http://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/city-guides/buenos-aires-must-dos/ or this https://theculturetrip.com/south-america/argentina/articles/the-top-10-things-to-do-and-see-in-buenos-aires/

With only 3.5 days, I'd spend them all Buenos Aires with maybe a side trip to Delta el Tigre to the north.

My husband and I were in BA for a week in June, and we never felt unsafe. Of course, you take the normal travel precautions as you would anywhere you go. We stayed in Palermo Soho which is a very young and trendy neighborhood with lots of shops, bars, and restaurants. Another nice area to stay would be Recoleta. I would also have enjoyed staying in the San Telmo neighborhood. The city is very large, so you will want to spend some time just exploring the city. A city tour would be nice to give you an overview. We also spent a day playing polo outside the city which was amazing! I would highly recommend if you are looking for something unique. We also went to a tango show one night which was very nice! PM if you want any more specific details :)

We stayed at the Plaza in Retiro, on the Plaza San Martin, and liked it fine. The big Panamerican or Colon Hotels on 9 de Julio might also work for you. Those are all in the busy central part of the city, you could find somewhere quieter in Recoleta. We enjoyed Buenos Aires, though I thought comparisons to Paris were a bit excessive. We never felt unsafe in the central city. As others have noted, pickpocket precautions are always in order.

With your limited time, I'd suggest the HOHO bus or some other city overview tour, and I'd skip Tigre and the delta, which would use up most of a day.

Something to note about the money -- and this may be out of date as we were there early in 2016 -- Argentina's currency is essentially worthless outside the country. You'll have to use ATMs or cambios to get it, and you won't want to take any away. And the ATMs limit individual withdrawals to a small amount, like $75 as I recall. For a stay as short as yours, I'd stick to ATMs. Your credit card should work also for hotel, big meals etc.

We spent five days in BA and enjoyed our stay.

I highly recommend that you go to a tango show in the evening. They will pick you up at your hotel and return you after the show. There are several good shows, check them out on trip advisor.

We found an inexpensive B&B near the METRO line that goes right into the city. In fact, we walked home a couple of times from the city.

Our B&B host warned us about a few places to avoid. There is one area just outside of La Boca, near a soccer stadium that you should avoid. The area between La Boca and San Telmo not so great. There is another area, but I don't remember the name, but there were many homeless people sleeping under bridges and on the side of the highway.

Generally, BA is safe.

We had a great free walking tour the took us around the high points of the city. We went to La Boca on a city bus, forgot the number. Further, we used a guidebook and guidance from our host to use the METRO and or walk around the city on our own. We did go to the Palermo District for dinner one night.

Taxis are inexpensive.

Thank you so much to everyone who has replied!

My fiance and I have decided to go to Buenos Aires next month - does anyone have any recommendations for a wine tour/tasting? Unfortunately, we will not have time to visit Mendoza. Most of the suggestions I have found on other sites no longer exist, or are incredibly expensive ($79 USD to taste 4 wines?!). Ideally I would like to do a walking tour and check out a few places, but if that is not possible, I would like to visit a cozy wine bar with a nice ambiance - not something that feels like a folding table set up in the middle of a cafeteria.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

It's been years since I went (so I can't remember), but there are tons of small bars spread throughout BA. There is no need to sign up for expensive tastings. The wine is very affordable wherever you go, so you can try different types just about anywhere. Just stop by any place that looks interesting. Same with restaurants - they'll have a good selection, especially at steakhouses called parillas. The best wines I've had there were Malbecs and Torrentes (white wines) varieties. They don't need to be from Mendoza, as Argentina has multiple wine regions.

Hi, we will be off in BA from a cruise in December. We would like to either visit some wineries or understand more about their wine culture. Were also open to spending up to one week in the area - any other recommendations about visiting cities/area nearby? Thanks